Cleaning question.

[Garbcollector]

The patches in the pictures look pretty dam clean. I would stop right there your barrel is clean enough

[ohsmily]

The patches in the pictures look pretty dam clean. I would stop right there your barrel is clean enough

It looks like he's trying to scrub the top layer of metal off the bore? Maybe trying to erase the lands and grooves?

[FeuerFrei]

Get some brass pipe screens from a smoke shop and run one down the pipe.

Gun community at large says;

"NO! That cannot be right! Those are cheap and not designed for guns blah blah blah etc".

I use those for scrubbing out the lead too. Done that for years.

[fighthedude]

Ok. So let me back up real quick. Ive had this gun for probably 5 years. Been fortunate to get pigs, deer and an elk with it. That being said, I have never been very consistently accurate. This was the reason I switched to lead last month. I have a fair amount-of Federal American Eagle. Last couple years I only shot copper because I dont shoot a ton and I am not on welfare. I cleaned my gun regularly and use it but dont abuse it. I was always concerned that I did not get it perfectly clean. My groups have been inconsistent and didnt know if my cleaning was cause of it. When shooting at range After 3 or 6 shots I generally give it 10 min to cool and run a snake or clean with bore bright then run wire brush through set amount of times then a handful of patches. I didnt know what or if this process was consistent with how you professionals on here would do it. I have included photo with different ammo I used in this gun. Minus some Hornady. I have been saving all brass last year to reload to with a buddy. At range today my friend said we should start back and step 1. Remove everything. Remount scope etc. not opposed to it since he knows more than I do. I had never heard of Lapping rings but he mentioned that. Today was frustrating.

[golfish]

Ok, looks like a rifle in question. for lead removal, I've used a 50/50 mix of Kroil and Hoppes #9. Let soak for 30 min or so. Couple applications ought to do it. You could also use "Chore-Boy" all copper dish scrubbers[all copper, not plated stuff]. One of these two should work for you. Hope this helps.

MLC

Regretfully the great product Kroil is not available in the not so great state of California.
It fell victim to a full time legislature run by the democrat party.

On can only guess why this product is banned ?
Might have something to do with not greasing enough palms, or possibly they contribute to republicans?

Tom, I was thinking about the Chore-boy pad a split second before I read your post

OP, I bought a can of Kroil from Phillips a few months ago. You can find the stuff at some places or order it from Amazon. The Chore-boy pads work pretty good for me. I cleaned out my dad's old Remington 512 using it. I thought I was never going to get that barrel clean.

[tony270]

Do want post 10 says, use stiff nylon bore brushes, and others that say let the Hoppes work overnight, brush a couple times during the reaction. Then clean with patches, then repeat, pull that bore string thing through too. I have exactly the same cleaning rods and accessories, the string too, Hoppes oil also helps release fouling.

[RandyD]

I don't believe that you can get a barrel completely clean of all the carbon and residue. Your patches look clean, and if a visual of the barrel looks clean then you have a clean barrel.

Regarding lead, it can leave a building in the barrel. It is easy to remove. As pennstater stated in his post, use Chore-Boy copper scrubbers. Just remove a strand of copper and wrap it around your bore brush and run it back and forth through your bore, and that will remove all the lead.

[Featureless]

Don't go OCD on cleaning. More firearms are damaged by cleaning than any other cause. As long as the rifle functions as designed and provides field accuracy as designed, don't go beyond removing any carbon buildup in the action and chamber. Ok to run a couple patches soaked in Hoppes down the bore followed by a couple dry patches. Then leave it alone.

[DArBad]

Over the years, I've read many gun articles that some fine steel wool dripping wet with Ed's Red is a very effective concoction in removing lead. Chuck the wet steel wool in an electric drill and scrub away.

[CessnaDriver]

Don't go OCD on cleaning. More firearms are damaged by cleaning than any other cause. As long as the rifle functions as designed and provides field accuracy as designed, don't go beyond removing any carbon buildup in the action and chamber. Ok to run a couple patches soaked in Hoppes down the bore followed by a couple dry patches. Then leave it alone.

I agree, do what is needed to protect the barrel, I've never gone too nuts and don't worry if the last patch isn't perfectly clean.

[bronco75a]

Use a shotgun boresnake. First time through with cleaner/solvent on it, 2nd time through with oil on it to oil the barrel. Do 2 sets of that.

[Fjold]

Sometimes the dirt on the patches is coming from the dirty brushes.

[Calif Hunter]

Ok. So let me back up real quick. Ive had this gun for probably 5 years. Been fortunate to get pigs, deer and an elk with it. That being said, I have never been very consistently accurate. This was the reason I switched to lead last month. I have a fair amount-of Federal American Eagle. Last couple years I only shot copper because I dont shoot a ton and I am not on welfare. I cleaned my gun regularly and use it but dont abuse it. I was always concerned that I did not get it perfectly clean. My groups have been inconsistent and didnt know if my cleaning was cause of it. When shooting at range After 3 or 6 shots I generally give it 10 min to cool and run a snake or clean with bore bright then run wire brush through set amount of times then a handful of patches. I didnt know what or if this process was consistent with how you professionals on here would do it. I have included photo with different ammo I used in this gun. Minus some Hornady. I have been saving all brass last year to reload to with a buddy. At range today my friend said we should start back and step 1. Remove everything. Remount scope etc. not opposed to it since he knows more than I do. I had never heard of Lapping rings but he mentioned that. Today was frustrating.

Most Tikkas shoot very well. You still have to find a load it likes, whether store-bought or handloaded. When I am deep cleaning, like when switching from lead core to solid copper Barnes bullets, I run a dry patch through a couple times, then a patch with Hoppes or Buth's Bore Shine. I brush with a copper or nylon brush soaked with the solvent. Then a couple dry patches to get out what the brush loosened. I run a patch with solvent through and let it sight overnight. Then I repeat with patches and brushwith solvent. Then dry patch to get the solvent out, and put Wip[e Out in the barrel and let it sight overnight, running dry patches through it the next morning until thay are fairly clean. I do that a couple times.

That is if I am changing ammo types or after many rounds have been shot. Otherwise, for normal cleaning, I patch a couple times with solvent, let it soak overnight with solvent, dry patch and then Wipe Out once followed by dry patches.

[Epaphroditus]

Steel wool? No, use bronze wool.

[divingin]

More firearms are damaged by cleaning than any other cause.

I think you should add the word "improper" in there.